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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · press · racket · bore · hide · chip · court · craft

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. court — of law
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. court — of a king
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com